When Life Gets Hard

Some friends of mine and I recently faced challenging circumstances.

One friend suggested to me that I enjoyed them.

But more on that in a moment.

Scripture tells us the things we must do.

We may not enjoy them.

In fact, we may find some of them difficult.

Scripture tells us to love our neighbor.

Galatians 5:14 (NET) - For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

One of the greatest ironies in life is that those who need love the most are often the most difficult to love.

Scripture tells us to forgive.

Ephesians 4:32 (NET) - Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Yet forgiveness is probably the one thing Christians struggle with most.

Scripture reminds us to be patient.

Philippians 4:6 (NET) - Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.

But patience tends to fall by the wayside in a world of instant gratification.

Scripture has other reminders, but among my favorites comes from another of Paul’s letters.

This one came to mind when my friend suggested I liked the circumstances.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) - And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Now faith is a wonderful thing.

And who among us does not like to have hope?

But Paul reminds us that love is the greatest of the three.

Upon recalling this verse, I knew how to respond to my friend.

I told him that I did not like the circumstances any better than he did.

I then added that I refuse to allow the circumstance to dictate how I interact with others.

I believe one thing the world has lost touch with is that it is okay to disagree with people.

We do not have to like or approve of what they say or do.

We certainly do not have to adopt these ways ourselves.

We are, however, obligated to love them.

It is okay for us to disagree.

It is not okay for us to become disagreeable in the process!

The things we find most difficult in life are the result of us relying on our own strength.

Perhaps we should rely on His strength instead.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 17, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 24, 2019

Opportunities

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) - And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

These words from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians are among my favorite in all of scripture.

I think every Christian would agree that faith is a wonderful thing.

And, who among us does not like to have hope.

But Paul reminds us love is even greater than faith or hope.

All three of these things involve relationships.

The first two, faith and hope, mainly involve our relationship with God.

Love, on the other hand, is not so limited.

While it is an integral part of our relationship with God it is also important to our relationship with others.

Jesus reminded us of this.

John 15:12 (NET) - My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.

The words we speak can demonstrate our love for God and others.

More importantly, our actions also demonstrate our love.

That’s where opportunities come in.

The dictionary defines opportunity as: a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

One kind of opportunity is the kind we create ourselves.

The other is the kind that presents itself to us.

These can be difficult for us to recognize with all the distractions the world offers us.

That is why it is important that we remain open and receptive to God’s leading,

When we do, something remarkable happens.

Our response to these opportunities is a great way to demonstrate our love for God and others as well.

We demonstrate our love for God and others at the same time.

Paul understood this and pointed this out in his letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 6:10 (NET) - So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.

As Easter draws ever nearer, let us remember how God demonstrated his love for us through Christ.

Let us remember that Jesus willingly laid down his life for us because He loves us.

John 15:13 (NET) - No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends.

Opportunities still arise.

Let us be open to them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 5, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 12, 2019

By Example

I do not have children of my own, but I know they are special to Jesus.

Mark 10:13-16 (NET) - Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Because children are special to Him, they are special to me.

One thing that always makes me feel good is when children from my church recognize me in public.

The other day I stopped at a restaurant.

From where I was seated I could see a family at another table that attend my church.

The youngest child in that family is about two years of age.

At one point he started looking around and saw me.

He immediately got the attention of his parents and pointed me out.

I waved to them and they waved back.

What struck me was the response of the two-year old.

He knows so very little about me.

In his mind I am just the big, bearded man he sees every Sunday in church.

That scene kept replaying itself in my mind.

A few days later I stopped at a different restaurant to pick up a sandwich.

A teenager from my church recently started working there.

She smiled when I walked in and even took my order.

When my order was ready she handed it to me.

As I prepared to leave, she did not say goodbye.

She said, “See you in church!”

This also made me feel blessed.

The teenager knows a great deal more about me than does the two-year old.

She is far more aware of the duties I perform for the church than the child.

The one thing about me that each has learned from experience is that come Sunday they will see me in church.

All things considered, I cannot think of a better reputation to have among our young people.

Matthew 18:10 (NET) - See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

There are two primary means of education.

We can teach with words.

We can also teach by example.

We often teach adults with our words.

But it is the example we set for the young that teaches far more effectively.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 2, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, March 9, 2018

Let's Make a Deal

There are some good things about social media.

Social media allows us to reconnect with people we may have lost touch with.

It also allows us to maintain connections with people we know.

It can also allow us to make brand new connections.

Social media can even allow us to share our faith.

Social media also presents us with a new set of problems.

Although we can renew connections or make new ones, social media can make these relationships superficial in nature.

That is because these types of connections require little effort on our part.

Even something seemingly good like sharing one’s faith can be problematic.

Scripture reminds us how important it is for us to share our faith.

Mark 16:15 (NET) - He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

This is far more than simply clicking on “like” or “share”.

Even some of the things that social media asks us to “share” are problematic.

Some, in fact, are not sound from a scriptural viewpoint.

Some promise that if you “share this today then God will bless you financially tomorrow.”

Some even try to blackmail us stating if you “scroll past this without sharing then you really do not love Jesus.”

At best these are attempts to apply human reasoning to God.

In John Chapter 9 the disciples tried to apply human reasoning to God.

Jesus saw a blind man.

His disciples assumed that it had to be either the man’s sin or his parents’ sin that caused his blindness.

Jesus corrected their thinking.

John 9:3 (NET) - Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.”

God chooses His blessings for us and those blessings are not dependent on what we choose to do.

This is especially true of “financial” blessings.

If you think about it, some of the most faithful people are not financially successful by the world’s standards.

Similarly, the amount of love we have for Jesus cannot determined by a picture on the web and whether we decide to share that picture or not.

In the end, social media is a tool.

It is a tool that can be used.

If we are not careful, it is a tool that can just as easily be misused.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 15, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 22, 2016

Why Sunday School?

It is difficult enough trying to get grown people to go to church these days.

It seems even more difficult to get them to even think of going to Sunday School,

Believe it or not, there are real benefits in attending an adult Sunday School class.

First of all, Sunday School is not just for children.

If a church has a Sunday School program for children it is very likely that it provides classes for adults.

Learning, after all, should be a lifelong experience.

Second, an adult Sunday School class is generally a small group.

Church should feel like family as we grow closer to those with whom we worship.

That being true, a small group like an adult Sunday School class begins to feel more like immediate family to those who attend.

This special sense of family is fostered simply by being a part of the group.

Another benefit of attending an adult Sunday School class is that you cannot help but learn more about the Bible.

Everyone in the class has passages of scripture that are important to them.

As the class studies together people will often share these passages of scripture with their fellow students.

At other times a student may recall a portion of scripture which the class then looks up in the Bible.

Another benefit of attending an adult Sunday School class is that each person is different,

Each brings his particular strengths that helps others.

Each also bring his weaknesses in order that they may be helped by those who are stronger.

Attending an adult Sunday School class also helps one get better at prayer.

When time in class is set aside for this purpose, students learn to pray more effectively.

They also raise specific people and circumstances up in prayer.

Their classmates then often pray for these people and circumstances outside the classroom as well.

In an adult Sunday School class, the students tend to become more involved individuals.

They may serve the church in other areas and quite often they have or develop ministries outside the church.

One thing I would recommend to any adult Sunday School class is that they take up an offering and prayerfully consider how to use those funds to benefit others.

Speaking from experience, you will be absolutely amazed by what God can do with a handful of dedicated people and a few dollars every week.

There is another great thing about being in a Sunday School class.

You really feel God’s presence there.

Scripture bears this out!

Matthew 18:20 (NET) - For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.

These are merely some of the benefits of attending an adult Sunday School class.

There are many more.

There are even benefits to teaching such a class.

But those I will save for another time.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 5, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 12, 2016

One Thing

My plans for Thanksgiving Day changed.

The wonderful people who invited me to share the day with them encountered circumstances beyond their control.

They contacted me the day before and explained the situation to me.

I completely understood and told them so,

I told them not to worry about a thing and informed them that I would lift them up in prayer.

The moment I hung up the phone, I did just that.

Once I concluded that portion of my prayer I asked for His guidance in how I should spend Thanksgiving Day.

The answer came as no surprise as it was embedded in the name of the day.

I should spend my day simply giving thanks to God.

Although this should be simple, the difficulty lies in where to begin.

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in we discover that we have so much for which to be thankful.

As I began to mentally prepare a list, my thoughts turned to a work by a man named John Amos Comenius who lived in the 1600’s.

Comenius was many things.

The world knows him as the father of modern education, but he was also an author, a theologian and many other things as well.

Unum Necessarium is but one of the books Comenius wrote.

The subject of this book is “the one thing necessary.”

Of all that we have or could have only one of them is completely necessary.

What is this one thing?

The one thing necessary is a relationship with God which is made possible through Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31 (NIV) - They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

I will forever be grateful for the one thing necessary.

Being thankful in this will allow me to be grateful for everything else.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Of course that means I am grateful for you too.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 4, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 11, 2015

A Heritage of Faith

I am a very fortunate man.

My parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts were people of faith.

Each of them helped instill a foundation of faith in me which I continue to build upon.

Although almost all of them are gone, I continue to thank God for every one of them.

I am also interested in history especially the history of those with whom I share a connection.

Some were people from my family’s history.

Some were people from my church’s history.

Some were people native to the lands from where my family originated.

One of the things they had in common was faith in the Lord.

Many of them willingly risked much in order to preserve their faith.

Many were persecuted for their faith.

A few even willingly sacrificed their very lives for their faith.

As I learn more about these individuals and their stories two things happen.

Their stories become a part of me and I want to share their stories with others who share a similar heritage,

I share these accounts with members of my family and members of my church.

I may even share their experiences as an example for the students in the Sunday school class I teach.

As time has gone by I have found that others also have an interest in these accounts.

This makes sense because faith is an important part of the heritage with which we have been entrusted,

These accounts need to be shared,

Sharing these accounts gives us a better perspective on our own faith.

It also helps us to develop stronger bonds with each other.

It also helps us to be more grateful.

Isaiah 38:19 (NET) – The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks, as I do today. A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 4, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 11, 2015

Don’t Limit Christmas to One Day

I chose to write this the very moment that Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day.

While Christmas is always special, I feel especially blessed this Christmas.

God continues to surround me with wonderful people who both love me and encourage me.

Some of these people I see daily in the workplace.

Some I see weekly in the Sunday school class I teach and the church in which I worship.

With the assistance of technology and social media I am surrounded by still more.

Many of these people I will never be fortunate enough to meet face to face in this world.

It is both comforting and amazing to think that I will be able to do so in the next.

It is comforting in the sense that heaven is a reality in which no one will be a stranger.

It is amazing in the sense this is only possible because of the One whose birth we celebrate at this time of year.

This sense of amazement is multiplied when one really contemplates the significance of that birth.

That is one of the things that truly separates Christianity from all other religions.

Christianity is not about how a fallen man attempts to reach up to God.

Christianity is about how God reached down to a fallen man through Jesus Christ.

It is about how God planned for our salvation from the very beginning.

The Son of God had to be born into this fallen world.

He then had to live among us.

He had to be subjected to hunger, thirst and temptation.

He had to be subjected to ridicule and rejection.

He had to be subjected to abandonment, torture and, yes, even death.

Yet never once did He sin.

Always, He forgave.

During His time among us, He taught us how to live.

He taught that it was important that we have a good relationship with God.

He also emphasized that it was important for us to have a good relationship with others.

In the coming days, we will take down all of the decorations we put up for Christmas.

We will pack them into boxes and relegate them to attics and storage rooms to lie all but forgotten for another year.

Please, let us not do that with Jesus.

Let us continue to celebrate all that He continues to be each and every day of the year.

Let us do that as we reach out to a world that chooses to live in darkness rather than step into His light.

Let us forge now the relationships that will last throughout eternity.

John 3:17 (NET) – For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 2, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 9, 2014